Location information through directional sound provided by mobile computing device

ABSTRACT

A mobile computing device that provides location information through directional sound is described herein. The mobile computing device includes a location detection system that provides location signals corresponding to a user location and a destination location, such as a vehicle location or a vertex of a predefined travel route, to a spatial audio generation system to define a spatial audio signal based on a direction from the user location to the destination location. The spatial audio signal is provided to an audio device of the mobile computing device that outputs the spatial audio signal as directional sound having a locus at the destination location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/836,325, filed on Mar. 31, 2020, and entitled “LOCATION INFORMATIONTHROUGH DIRECTIONAL SOUND PROVIDED BY MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE”, which isa continuation of U.S. Pat. No. 10,674,306, filed on Aug. 14, 2018, andentitled “LOCATION INFORMATION THROUGH DIRECTIONAL SOUND PROVIDED BYMOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE”, the entireties of which are incorporatedherein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Mobile computing devices such as smart phones, tablets, and globalpositioning systems (GPS) are often used to generate locationinformation for a user, which is thereby relied upon to facilitatenavigation from one location to another. Location information may bepaired by mobile computing devices with specific directions that areaccessible in both visual and/or audio form (e.g., maps, movinggraphics, images, lists of written directions/instructions, vocalcommands, etc.) to guide the user to his or her desired location.

Directions that are paired with location information by a mobilecomputing device for location tracking purposes are particularlyadvantageous to individuals who suffer from certain forms of impairment,such as blindness, dementia, or intoxication, in addition to individualswho are generally unaware of (or who have forgotten) how to navigate toa particular location. The directions generated by mobile computingdevices, however, are usually provided as discrete instructions. Forvisually impaired users, in particular, discrete audible commands suchas “turn left” or “continue across the intersection” can be problematicbecause such commands offer no sense of degree as to how far left theindividual should turn or how wide the intersection may be. Instead, theuser must rely on external cues to fill in missing informational gapsthat exist between directional prompts provided by the mobile computingdevice and the user's presently detected location.

In the case of visually impaired users, the external cues may includereliance upon directional sound that is perceived external to an audiosystem of the mobile computing device. In other words, visually impairedusers rely upon sound waves sensed by their own ears to gage a distanceand direction to a sound emitting source. While the process ofinterpreting directional sound is something that most peoplesubconsciously perform on a regular basis, it is of paramount importancefor the daily navigation of the visually impaired. Thus, a mobilecomputing device that provides discrete navigational information becomesproblematic when a visually impaired person's situational awareness isfurther reduced, for example, by headphones of the mobile computingdevice that not only limit the perception of directional sound byphysically blocking the introduction of external sound waves into theear of the user but also fail to electronically generate directionalsound waves that would further supplement the navigation process.

SUMMARY

The following is a brief summary of subject matter that is described ingreater detail herein. This summary is not intended to be limiting as tothe scope of the claims.

Described herein are various technologies pertaining to providinglocation information through directional sound. With more specificity,described herein are various technologies pertaining to a mobilecomputing device that includes an audio device which outputs directionalsound to guide a user to a desired location. With still morespecificity, described herein is a mobile computing device thatgenerates location signals corresponding to a user location and adesired destination to define a spatial audio signal that is based on adirection from the user's location to the desired destination. Thespatial audio signal is then conveyed to the user by the audio device asa directional sound wave. The desired destination of the user may, forexample, include the location of a vehicle (e.g., an autonomous vehicleor a chauffeured vehicle) or it may include the location of adestination that is desirable for the user to locate upon exiting avehicle (e.g., an entrance to a shopping center, the user's place ofemployment, or the user's home).

In order to generate directional sound waves by an audio device, theoutput of the sound waves is aimed at a particular directional field,rather than naturally distributing the sound according to traditionalsound engineering principles. Artificially generated directional soundis intended to replicate the way in which sound is perceived in reallife by the human ear in order to provide a three-dimensional sense ofawareness to the listener. That is, directional sound waves generated byan audio device provide the user with a sense of direction and distanceto a perceived sound emitting source in accordance with a user's generalfamiliarity with directional sound in everyday life.

In an exemplary embodiment, a mobile computing device may indicate thelocation of a vehicle through directional sound. For instance, themobile computing device may be a smart phone having anapplication/routine stored thereon that is initiated by a user whenassistance is needed by the user to locate the vehicle. Directionalsound waves are generated by an audio device (e.g., headphones linked tothe mobile computing device) such that a locus of the perceived soundwaves represents the location of the vehicle/desired destination.

An intensity/volume of the generated sound waves is additionally basedon a current distance from the user's location to the vehicle location.A location detection system incorporated in the mobile computing devicedetects the location of the smart phone (e.g., through a local GPS) inproximity to the user as well as the location of the vehicle. Thevehicle location may be detected based on reference points orcoordinates previously stored in memory on the mobile computing device(e.g., at the time the vehicle was last parked by duplicating thecoordinates of a mobile computing device while it was located therein)or by linking the mobile computing device to a location detection systemincorporated in the vehicle itself that provides the locationcoordinates of the vehicle directly to the mobile computing system.

Once the locations of the mobile computing device and the vehicle aredetermined, a spatial audio signal is generated by the mobile computingdevice that represents a directional sound having a locus at thevehicle's location. The direction of the generated sound waves isfurther based on a current orientation/direction of the user from theuser location to the vehicle location. The mobile computing device maydetermine the direction to a desired destination location based on anorientation of the headphones worn by the user and comparing theorientation to the user's present location or by tracking the user'strajectory and manipulating the directional sound waves in accordancetherewith.

Since the locus of the directional sound output by the audio devicecorresponds to a static location, the user is able to audibly perceivewhether he or she is moving closer to the vehicle, straying fartheraway, or oriented in the correct direction to locate the vehicle. Whilethe techniques set forth herein may be suited for locating objectsranging from a 50 ft. radius to 1-2 blocks away, it is to be appreciatedthat there is no limit as to the distance at which these techniques canbe used, since the source of the sound waves is generated locally by anaudio device (i.e., headphones) and is not being emitted from the actuallocation of the vehicle, which could only produce audible sounds from afinite distance away.

While the foregoing exemplary embodiment describes navigation from auser location to a vehicle location, it is to be understood that thetechniques described herein can use direction and distance to facilitatenavigation from the user location to any number of desirable destinationlocations, including navigation from a user location that is proximateto a vehicle to another desired destination location away from thevehicle, or from one location to another where neither destinationinvolves a vehicle.

The directional sound waves output by the audio device may furtherinclude effects such as a continuous tone, a beeping sound, music, orvocal phrases. For instance, the rate of a beeping sound may become morerapid as the mobile computing device approaches the destinationlocation, whereas a continuous tone may be increased in volume as thedestination location is approached. In some cases, non-spatial audiosuch as discrete vocal commands are layered with spatial audio tosupplement the location information provided through directional sound.In other cases, the vocal commands themselves may be manipulated tooutput as spatial audio when the content of a cue (e.g., turnleft/right) is played. In still other cases, a cue may be played in oneear or the other to indicate, for example, that a user needs to adjusttheir direction/orientation or that a user may be straying too far offcourse from their desired destination.

Additionally, the mobile computing device includes a system forconverting two-dimensional stereo audio into a three-dimensionalbinaural (left and right) format. Thus, a user that is listening tomusic when the navigation process is initiated can have the fileconverted in such a way that their music continues to play asdirectional sound with a locus at their intended destination.Alternatively, the user could adjust the settings of the mobilecomputing device to indicate a preference that preprogramed music shouldbe played to provide the above effect when the navigation process isinitiated.

The above summary presents a simplified summary in order to provide abasic understanding of some aspects of the systems and/or methodsdiscussed herein. This summary is not an extensive overview of thesystems and/or methods discussed herein. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of such systems and/ormethods. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary mobile computing device.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary spatial audio generation system fordefining a spatial audio signal.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary control system for controlling theoutput of an audio device.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a user of a mobile computing devicenavigating from a first location to a second location using directionalsound.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary methodology forproviding location information through directional sound.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an exemplary methodology forproviding location information through directional sound.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary computing system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Various technologies pertaining to providing location information by amobile computing device through directional sound are now described withreference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used torefer to like elements throughout. In the following description, forpurposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth inorder to provide a thorough understanding of one or more aspects. It maybe evident, however, that such aspect(s) may be practiced without thesespecific details. In other instances, well-known structures and devicesare shown in block diagram form in order to facilitate describing one ormore aspects. Further, it is to be understood that functionality that isdescribed as being carried out by certain system components may beperformed by multiple components. Similarly, for instance, a componentmay be configured to perform functionality that is described as beingcarried out by multiple components.

Moreover, the term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or” ratherthan an exclusive “or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clearfrom the context, the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean anyof the natural inclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs Aor B” is satisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; Xemploys B; or X employs both A and B.

In addition, the articles “a” and “an” as used in this application andthe appended claims should generally be construed to mean “one or more”unless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to asingular form.

Further, as used herein, the terms “component”, “system”, and “module”are intended to encompass computer-readable data storage that isconfigured with computer-executable instructions that cause certainfunctionality to be performed when executed by a processor. Thecomputer-executable instructions may include a routine, a function, orthe like. It is also to be understood that a component or system may belocalized on a single device or distributed across several devices.

Further, as used herein, the term “exemplary” is intended to meanserving as an illustration or example of something and is not intendedto indicate a preference.

With reference now to FIG. 1 , an exemplary mobile computing device 100is illustrated. The mobile computing device 100 may be any portabledevice such as a cell phone, smart phone, tablet, wearable device, orother electronic device that is configured to process location signalsand thereby generate direction information suitable for navigation. Thegenerated information may include spatial audio waves as well as visualinformation such as maps, moving graphics, images, lists of writtendirections/instructions, etc. The mobile computing device 100 mayfurther include a routine stored on memory 110 in the mobile computingdevice 100 that is initiated by a user of the device when navigationalassistance is desired.

The mobile computing device 100 includes a location detection system 102that generates location signals. The location detection system 102 isconfigured to identify the location of the mobile computing device 100,for example, through GPS coordinates. The mobile computing device 100may have a built-in GPS (e.g., the location detection system 102 can bea GPS receiver) or the location detection system 102 may receive asignal from an external system that captures the location of the mobilecomputing device 100 and/or the location of another object such as avehicle. In an exemplary embodiment, the location detection system 102of the mobile computing device 100 is linked to a second locationdetection system of a vehicle (e.g., an autonomous vehicle) whichtransmits second location information of the vehicle to the locationdetection system 102 of the mobile computing device 100.

In cases where the location of a static object (e.g., a building or aparked car) is not transmitted to the location detection system 102 byan external system, the coordinates of the static object may bedetermined by other methods. For example, the coordinates of a parkedcar may be stored on memory 110 in the mobile computing device 100 bypreserving the coordinates of the mobile computing device 100 while thedevice 100 was located inside of (or proximate to) the car at the timeit was parked. This information is then referenced at a subsequent timein order to navigate from the user's currently detected location to thepreviously saved coordinates corresponding to the vehicle. In otherinstances when navigation to a non-movable object such as a building isdesired, coordinate data may be extracted from online maps and othernetworks that the mobile computing device 100 is in communication withand provided to the location detection system 102.

The mobile computing device 100 additionally comprises a processor 108and memory 110 which are in communication with the location detectionsystem 102 and an audio device 104. The memory 110 includescomputer-executable instructions which are executed by the processor108.

The location detection system 102 generates location signalscorresponding to the location of the user (e.g., the location of themobile computing device 100 can be assumed to be the location of theuser) and a desired destination location, and provides the locationsignals to the memory 110, where they are further received by a spatialaudio generation system 112. The spatial audio generation system 112 isconfigured to generate a spatial audio signal that corresponds to adirection from the user's location to the desired destination. Thememory 110 additionally includes a control system 114 that is configuredto receive an output of the spatial audio generation system 112 and isfurther configured to control an output of the audio device 104 basedupon the spatial audio signal generated by the spatial audio generationsystem 112 and other parameters.

In a preferred embodiment, the audio device 104 is headphones linked tothe mobile computing device 100. However, the audio device 104 may alsobe a speaker array incorporated in the mobile computing device 100 ordisposed at an external position. Thus, while the audio device 104 isdepicted in FIG. 1 as being included in the mobile computing device 100,it is contemplated that the audio device 104 may be separate from themobile computing device 100 (e.g., the audio device 104 and the mobilecomputing device 100 can be coupled to each other).

With reference now to FIG. 2 , the spatial audio generation system 112includes a distance module 202, a direction module 204, and a spatialaudio signal module 206. The location detection system 102 generallyprovides two location signals to the spatial audio generation system112. A first location signal captures the location of a desireddestination. For instance, the first location signal may capture thelocation of a vehicle or it may capture the location of some otherdestination of interest, such as an entrance to a building. The secondlocation signal captures the current location of the user by correlatingthe detected location of the mobile computing device 100 to the locationof the user.

The first location signal and the second location signal do not need tobe received by the spatial audio generation system 112 in any particularorder. The spatial audio generation system 112 is configured toaccumulate data output by the location detection system 102 as it isreceived. In instances where the user location is changing, updated userlocation signals are provided to the spatial audio generation system 112based on detected changes in the user's location. The spatial audiogeneration system 112 may provide the updated user location signal to atleast one of the distance module 202 or the direction module 204 as areplacement signal for the prior user location signal or it mayaccumulate the signals to determine a trajectory of the user.

The distance module 202 receives the first location signal and thesecond location signal to determine a distance between the two locationsbased on coordinates captured in the respective location signals foreach location. The distance between the two locations may be used todefine an intensity of a spatial audio signal by the spatial audiosignal module 206. For example, a short distance between the twodetected locations can result in generating a spatial audio signal thatcorresponds to a loud/intense output by the audio device 104, whereas alarge distance between the two detected locations can correspond to aquieter/moderate output by the audio device 104.

The direction module 204 further receives the first location signal andthe second location signal to determine a direction from the userlocation to a desired destination. There are at least two methods thatthe direction module 204 can implement to define direction. First, thedirection module 204 may receive a signal that captures the orientationof the user. For example, the audio device 104 may be a pair ofheadphones linked to the mobile computing device 100 that detects whichdirection the user's head is oriented while wearing the headphones, sothat a suitable spatial audio signal can be defined by the spatial audiosignal module 206. The direction that the user is facing may also bedetected by the orientation in which the mobile computing device 100 isbeing held. Second, the direction module 204 may define a directionbased on detected motion of the user. For instance, the direction module204 may compare the coordinates captured in an updated user locationsignal with the coordinates captured in a previous location signal todetermine a direction that the user is walking.

The outputs from each of the distance module 202 and the directionmodule 204 are provided to the spatial audio signal module 206 forspatial audio signal generation. In particular, the spatial audio signalis generated by the spatial audio signal module 206 so that it defines adirectional sound having a perceived locus emitted by the audio devicethat corresponds to a destination location. The locus includes adirectional component that is defined based on the output of thedirection module 204 and a distance component that is defined based onthe output of the distance module 206.

With reference now to FIG. 3 , the control system 114 includes a soundmodule 302, a layering module 304, and a conversion module 306. Eachmodule 302-306 provides a signal to an output module 308 that, whenexecuted by the processor 108, controls the output of the audio device104. Directional sound emitted by the audio device 104 may comprise anyof a continuous tone, a beeping sound, music, and vocalphrases/commands, amongst others, which are typically predefined soundsstored in the sound module 302. In an exemplary embodiment, asub-routine running on the mobile computing device 100 is accessed bythe user to maintain control over the type of signal generated by thesound module 302. For example, the user is able to indicate a preferenceas to which type of sound (e.g., continuous tone, beeping sound, etc.)he or she would like to have output by the audio device 104 duringnavigation.

In some embodiments, discrete commands (e.g., turn right) are output bythe audio device 104 in addition to directional sound waves. Discrete,non-spatial audio supplements the spatial sound waves emitted by theaudio device 104 by providing an additional level of situationalawareness that facilitates navigation by the user. The layering module304 layers non-spatial audio signals provided to the control system 114with the spatial audio signals generated by the spatial audio generationsystem 112. The resulting signal provides simultaneous output of spatialand non-spatial audio that is distinguishable to the user (i.e., theuser is able to differentiate between the directional sound andnon-spatial audio cues). Alternatively, the layering module 304 may usethe content of a cue itself as the directional sound perceived by thelistener. For instance, the cue may say “turn left” or “turn right” butis output by the audio device 104 as spatial audio as well.

In another exemplary embodiment, the conversion module 306 is used toconvert two-dimensional stereo audio into a three-dimensional binauralformat. Specifically, the mobile computing device 100 may store aparticular piece of music or other type of multimedia audio file thatthat user would prefer to listen to over the predefined sounds alreadyincorporated in the sound module 302. When this preference is initiated,the audio file is provided to the conversion module 306, which convertsthe two-dimensional audio into spatial audio so that when the file playsit is output as directional sound by the audio device 104 having aperceived locus at the destination location. In addition, if the user isalready streaming an audio file at the time that navigation isinitiated, the signal may be fed through the conversion module 306 tooutput the streamed data as directional sound for navigation. Uponreceiving one or more control signals from the sound module 302, thelayering module 304, and/or the conversion module 306, the output module308 generates a consolidated output signal for the audio device 104 thatcaptures the information provided by each module 302-306 to generate acombined sound.

With reference now to FIG. 4 , a diagram 400 illustrates an example of amobile computing device user navigating along a travel path 408 from afirst location to a second location based on directional sound. Thediagram 400 includes a building location 402, a user location 406, and avehicle location 404. The same travel path 408 that is used to navigatefrom the vehicle location 404 to the building location 402 may be usedfor return navigation from the building location 402 to the vehiclelocation 404. Accordingly, it is to be understood that both directionsof travel are represented by the diagram 400.

Additionally, the travel path 408 does not necessarily represent thetravel direction that is indicated by the directional sound output fromthe audio device. For example, if the user is navigating from thebuilding location 402 to the vehicle location 404, the directional soundperceived by the user will have a locus at the vehicle location 404.Thus, when navigation is initiated with the mobile computing device 100,the user location 406 and the building location 402 would haveoverlapping coordinates such that the directional sound output by theaudio device would direct the user in a straight line from the buildinglocation 402 to the vehicle location 404, as if it were providinglocation information of the vehicle based on the shortest distancebetween two points. That is, as the user location 406 changes, one endof the straight line would remain fixed at the vehicle location 404while the other end of the straight line would be fixed to the dynamiclocation of the user.

Since a straight-line navigation approach is not always practical,however, (e.g., when there is a need to follow a sidewalk or a need touse a cross walk when crossing a street) the user may rely on other cuesto supplement navigation by directional sound such as discretedirections from the mobile computing device 100 or external cues to themobile computing device 100. Users of the mobile computing device 100are generally cognizant of the fact that navigating precisely in thedirection of the perceived locus may not always be the safest or mostdesirable route to pursue and that implementation of a non-linear travelpath may be more practical. The diagram 400 illustrates an exemplarynon-linear travel path 408 that is supplemented by directional soundbased on the user location 406.

Alternatively, the mobile computing device 100 may define the non-lineartravel path 408 and further define a dynamic locus that changes itsperceived location based on the coordinates of the user location 406with respect to the vertices 410-412 in the travel path 408. Forinstance, if the user location 406 corresponds to the building location402 when navigation is initiated, a locus of the directional soundoutput by the audio device may initially be defined at a first vertex410 along the travel path 408. The user of the mobile computing device100 follows the directional sound toward the first vertex 410. When theuser location 406 corresponds to the coordinates of the first vertex410, the locus is redefined at a second vertex 412 along the travel path408. The user of the mobile computing device 100 again follows thedirectional sound toward the second vertex 412. When the user location406 corresponds to the second vertex 412, the locus is further redefinedat a third vertex 414 along the travel path 408. This process repeatsfor all of the vertices and an endpoint in the travel path until theuser has arrived at their desired destination. It is to be understoodthat this process could be performed in reverse order to facilitatereturn navigation from the vehicle location 404 to an original startingpoint of the travel path 408.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate exemplary methodologies relating to providinglocation information by a mobile computing device through directionalsound. While the methodologies are shown and described as being a seriesof acts that are performed in a sequence, it is to be understood andappreciated that the methodologies are not limited by the order of thesequence. For example, some acts can occur in a different order thanwhat is described herein. In addition, an act can occur concurrentlywith another act. Further, in some instances, not all acts may berequired to implement a methodology described herein.

Moreover, the acts described herein may be computer-executableinstructions that can be implemented by one or more processors and/orstored on a computer-readable medium or media. The computer-executableinstructions can include a routine, a sub-routine, programs, a thread ofexecution, and/or the like. Still further, results of acts of themethodologies can be stored in a computer-readable medium, displayed ona display device, and/or the like.

Referring now to FIG. 5 , an exemplary methodology 500 for providinglocation information through directional sound is illustrated. Themethodology 500 starts at 502, and at 504 a first location signal isgenerated by a location detection system (e.g., a mobile computingdevice), wherein the first location signal corresponds to a userlocation (e.g., a location of the mobile computing device). At 506, asecond location signal is received by the mobile computing device,wherein the second location signal corresponds to a destinationlocation. At 508, the first location signal and the second locationsignal are provided to a spatial audio generation system. The spatialaudio generation system is incorporated in memory on a mobile computingdevice. The memory is in communication with the location detectionsystem, an audio device, and a processor. At 510, the spatial audiogeneration system defines a spatial audio signal based on a directionfrom the user location to the destination location. At 512, the audiodevice is controlled based on the spatial audio signal. The audio deviceoutputs directional sound having a locus perceived by the user at thedestination location. The methodology 500 completes at 514.

Referring now to FIG. 6 , an exemplary methodology 600 for providinglocation information through directional sound is illustrated. Themethodology 600 starts at 602, and at 604 location signals are generatedby a location detection system that correspond to a user location and avertex of a predefined travel route. The predefined travel route may begenerated by the mobile computing device or defined based on an externalsource. At 606, the location signals are provided to a spatial audiogeneration system. The spatial audio generation system is incorporatedin memory on a mobile computing device. The memory is in communicationwith the location detection system, an audio device, and a processor. At608, the spatial audio generation system defines a spatial audio signalbased on a direction from the user location to a vertex in thepredefined travel route. For example, the direction may correspond to aparticular segment of the travel route. At 610, the audio device iscontrolled based on the spatial audio signal. The audio device outputsdirectional sound having a locus perceived by the user at a vertex ofthe predefined travel route. The methodology 600 completes at 612.

Referring now to FIG. 7 , a high-level illustration of an exemplarycomputing device 700 that can be used in accordance with the systems andmethodologies disclosed herein is illustrated. For instance, thecomputing device 700 may be or include the mobile computing device 100.The computing device 700 includes at least one processor 702 thatexecutes instructions that are stored in a memory 704. The instructionsmay be, for instance, instructions for implementing functionalitydescribed as being carried out by one or more modules and systemsdiscussed above or instructions for implementing one or more of themethods described above. In addition to storing executable instructions,the memory 704 may also store location information, distanceinformation, direction information, etc.

The computing device 700 additionally includes a data store 708 that isaccessible by the processor 702 by way of the system bus 706. The datastore 708 may include executable instructions, location information,distance information, direction information, etc. The computing device700 also includes an input interface 710 that allows external devices tocommunicate with the computing device 700. For instance, the inputinterface 710 may be used to receive instructions from an externalcomputer device, etc. The computing device 700 also includes an outputinterface 712 that interfaces the computing device 700 with one or moreexternal devices. For example, the computing device 700 may transmitcontrol signals to the audio device 104 by way of the output interface712.

Additionally, while illustrated as a single system, it is to beunderstood that the computing device 700 may be a distributed system.Thus, for instance, several devices may be in communication by way of anetwork connection and may collectively perform tasks described as beingperformed by the computing device 700.

Various functions described herein can be implemented in hardware,software, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, thefunctions can be stored on or transmitted over as one or moreinstructions or code on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readablemedia includes computer-readable storage media. A computer-readablestorage media can be any available storage media that can be accessed bya computer. By way of example, and not limitation, suchcomputer-readable storage media can comprise RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM orother optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magneticstorage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desiredprogram code in the form of instructions or data structures and that canbe accessed by a computer. Disk and disc, as used herein, includecompact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc(DVD), floppy disk, and Blu-ray disc (BD), where disks usually reproducedata magnetically and discs usually reproduce data optically withlasers. Further, a propagated signal is not included within the scope ofcomputer-readable storage media. Computer-readable media also includescommunication media including any medium that facilitates transfer of acomputer program from one place to another. A connection, for instance,can be a communication medium. For example, if the software istransmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using acoaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line(DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave,then the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, orwireless technologies such as infrared, radio and microwave are includedin the definition of communication medium. Combinations of the aboveshould also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

Alternatively, or in addition, the functionally described herein can beperformed, at least in part, by one or more hardware logic components.For example, and without limitation, illustrative types of hardwarelogic components that can be used include Field-programmable Gate Arrays(FPGAs), Program-specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), Program-specificStandard Products (ASSPs), System-on-a-chip systems (SOCs), ComplexProgrammable Logic Devices (CPLDs), etc.

What has been described above includes examples of one or moreembodiments. It is, of course, not possible to describe everyconceivable modification and alteration of the above devices ormethodologies for purposes of describing the aforementioned aspects, butone of ordinary skill in the art can recognize that many furthermodifications and permutations of various aspects are possible.Accordingly, the described aspects are intended to embrace all suchalterations, modifications, and variations that fall within the spiritand scope of the appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that theterm “includes” is used in either the detailed description or theclaims, such term is intended to be inclusive in a manner similar to theterm “comprising” as “comprising” is interpreted when employed as atransitional word in a claim.

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobile computing device configured to cause anaudio device to output a directional sound wave, the mobile computingdevice comprising: a processor; and memory that stores instructionsthat, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to performacts comprising: receiving data specifying a destination to which a userof the mobile computing device is traveling, wherein the user is tofollow a non-linear travel path to the destination; and as the usertravels to the destination along the non-linear travel path: detectingan orientation of the user relative to the destination; controlling theaudio device to output the directional sound wave based on theorientation of the user relative to the destination, wherein thedirectional sound wave continues to be directed to the destination asthe user travels along the non-linear travel path; and controlling theaudio device to output a supplemental navigational cue specifying adirection to a next vertex along the non-linear travel path based on acurrent location of the user.
 2. The mobile computing device of claim 1,wherein controlling the audio device to output the directional soundwave further comprises controlling a volume of the directional soundwave outputted by the audio device based on a distance from the currentlocation of the user to the destination.
 3. The mobile computing deviceof claim 1, wherein controlling the audio device to output thedirectional sound wave further comprises controlling a frequency ofbeeps included as part of the directional sound wave outputted by theaudio device based on a distance from the current location of the userto the destination.
 4. The mobile computing device of claim 1, whereinthe directional sound wave comprises music.
 5. The mobile computingdevice of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the user relative to thedestination is detected at least in part based on an orientation of theaudio device.
 6. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein theorientation of the user relative to the destination is detected at leastin part based on an orientation of the mobile computing device.
 7. Themobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the orientation of the userrelative to the destination is detected at least in part based on atracked trajectory of motion of the user.
 8. The mobile computing deviceof claim 1, wherein the directional sound wave comprises a vocalnavigational cue.
 9. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein theaudio device comprises headphones linked to the mobile computing device.10. The mobile computing device of claim 1, the acts further comprising:converting two-dimensional audio data into three-dimensional audio databased on the orientation of the user relative to the destination,wherein the directional sound wave comprises the three-dimensional audiodata.
 11. The mobile computing device of claim 1, wherein the dataspecifying the destination to which the user is traveling is receivedfrom an autonomous vehicle.
 12. The mobile computing device of claim 1,the acts further comprising: receiving data specifying a currentlocation of the mobile computing device as the user travels to thedestination along the non-linear travel path, wherein the currentlocation of the mobile computing device corresponds to the currentlocation of the user; wherein the audio device is controlled to outputthe directional sound wave further based on the current location of theuser as the user travels to the destination along the non-linear travelpath.
 13. A method performed by a mobile computing device incommunication with an audio device, the audio device configured tooutput a directional sound wave, the method comprising: receiving dataspecifying a destination to which a user of the mobile computing deviceis traveling, wherein the user is to follow a non-linear travel path tothe destination; and as the user travels to the destination along thenon-linear travel path: detecting an orientation of the user relative tothe destination; controlling the audio device to output the directionalsound wave based on the orientation of the user relative to thedestination, wherein the directional sound wave continues to be directedto the destination as the user travels along the non-linear travel path;and controlling the audio device to output a supplemental navigationalcue specifying a direction to a next vertex along the non-linear travelpath based on a current location of the user.
 14. The method of claim13, wherein the directional sound wave comprises a vocal navigationalcue.
 15. The method of claim 13, further comprising: receiving dataspecifying a current location of the mobile computing device as the usertravels to the destination along the non-linear travel path, wherein thecurrent location of the mobile computing device corresponds to thecurrent location of the user; wherein the audio device is controlled tooutput the directional sound wave further based on the current locationof the user as the user travels to the destination along the non-lineartravel path.
 16. The method of claim 13, further comprising: controllinga volume of the directional sound wave outputted by the audio devicebased on a distance from a current location of the user to thedestination.
 17. The method of claim 13, further comprising: convertingtwo-dimensional audio data into three-dimensional audio data based onthe orientation of the user relative to the destination, wherein thedirectional sound wave comprises the three-dimensional audio data.
 18. Amethod performed by a mobile computing device in communication with anaudio device, the audio device configured to output a directional soundwave, the method comprising: receiving a non-linear travel path, whereina user of the mobile computing device travels along the non-lineartravel path to a destination; and as the user travels to the destinationalong the non-linear travel path: detecting an orientation of the userrelative to the destination; controlling the audio device to output thedirectional sound wave based on the orientation of the user relative tothe destination, wherein the directional sound wave continues to bedirected to the destination as the user travels along the non-lineartravel path; and controlling the audio device to output a supplementalnavigational cue specifying a direction to a next vertex along thenon-linear travel path based on a current location of the user.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the directional sound wave comprises music.20. The method of claim 18, wherein the directional sound wave comprisesa vocal navigational cue.